The Pashupati Area Development Trust has decided to recover Rs 9.2 million in rent arrears from florists and curio sellers on the Pashupati premises who have not paid rent for past 10 years.

A meeting between PADT officials and shop owners on Sunday agreed to settle the issue. As per the agreement at the meeting headed by PADT Chairman Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation Ananda Prasad Pokharel, a curio shop owner will now be charged Rs1,800 per month while flower shop owners will have to pay Rs800 per month. “Tough we could not implement it in the past ten years, we hope to raise the money this time,” said Govinda Tandon, member secretary at the PADT.  According to the Trust, there are 24 curio shops, 26 flower shops and more than two dozen other shops that sell trinkets for offering prayers.